Smooth, shiny, healthy edges can often be elusive for many with textured hair.

The remedy is simple: combine the hair know-how oflas Dominicanas, with the most silkening of island potions.

You can get your hairline obeying in no time at all...

Control on textured hair

When it comes to edges that won't comply, you might be forgiven for thinking your texture – whether its super-resistant strands or the sheer bulkiness of thick hair – makes getting your tresses to lay down a simply impossible task.

With the same textured hair atop their head, courtesy of their raíces africanas, Dominican women have also had to grapple with the reality that textured hair tends to be less tractable than, well, less textured hair.

While an inordinate amount of straining and heavy products might in the end get the edges to concede, such harshness is damaging in the long run. With the premium this Caribbean nation places on lustrous, healthy hair from root to tip, the overstraining approach was definitely not an option.

Instead, Dominican women had to find a way to balance control with good health. What they've discovered has been implemented into every facet of the way Dominicanas style and care for their hair. And if it works for their thick, textured hair it'll work on yours, too!

How to get smooth edgesThe secret to getting textured hair to bend and smoothen is to work with the texture. For textured hair to feel at ease, and consent to being smoothed and moulded, three texture-specific essentials have to be in place: moisture, evenness and the right tools.

#1 Good hydration

The platform for smooth edges is well-moisturised hair. Why? Well-moisturised hair is hair at its most flexible, and getting your edges to lay down requires a high degree of flexibility on your hair's part. So make sure you infuse your hair with all the layers of moisture necessary.

#2 Keep it even

Smooth edges need a level surface – hair that lies as even as possible, from your front hairline to your nape. For pulled-back styles in particular, it's easier for the edges to fall in line if the rest of the hair is going in the same smooth direction.

On hair that is very thick or resistant, getting the whole head of hair combed through is an absolute must; the overall evenness of the entire mane will anchor the smoothly-set edges in place.

Be sure to get deep into the inner layers of your hair, detangling them thoroughly. This will level the hair out overall, making it easier to smoothen, as well as reducing the bulk and shrinkage that can sometimes make some styling options more complicated to achieve.

#3 Select the right stylers and tools

Using a conventional gel to slick your edges runs the risk of drying out your hair, causing stiffness and flaking. What's more, gelling down the edges can also be counterproductive on the most tightly-curled hair; most gels cause shrinkage, and can actually cause shorter hairs to curl away after you've smoothed them in the direction you want them to go. Try the Dominican secret weapon – Brillantina – to get your edges to comply. This rich creamy styler works by silkening and controlling wayward hairs, and dries with a smooth, natural feel.

When it comes to laying the edges down, it's good to have at least two brushes to hand. In the detangling and initial smoothing phase, you'll need a brush with long, flexible plastic or silicone bristles.

These brushes make contact with even the lowest layers of the hair, and also stretch out the individual curls so the hair lies flatter.

The other brush you'll need is a boar bristle brush. Known for adding shine, these natural bristles smooth out lines left by plastic brushes, plus they catch the small hairs that can leave a little halo of frizz around your edges – the plastic brushes tend to miss these as their rows tend to be more spaced out.

For really short and wiry hairs, consider adding a third brush to your edge smoothing kit: a nice firm toothbrush!

Not designed with your hair in mind, perhaps, but these smaller, stiffer bristles are great at targeting and catching the shorter, finer hairs that larger brushes miss. They truly work wonders on the stubbornest baby hair.

Last but by no means least, include a satin scarf in your kit. Wrapping this fabric on carefully smoothed out hair will securely hold your strands in place so they “learn” not to move out of position. The slipperiness of the fabric also imparts some of its own smoothness to the surface of your hair.

The ultimate edge-smoothing method...

Now you've got all your tools together, it's time to use them to create sleekness galore!

Step OneStart with freshly washed, deep conditioned and moisturised hair. Make sure your hair is well- detangled before you begin. To minimise shrinkage, which can make your hair lie unevenly, wait until your hair is at least 90% dry before you start the smoothing process.

Step TwoApply Brillantina to the portion of your hair you would like to smooth. Brush it through with the plastic brush to make sure makes it through to all layers. Tip: if you want high-wattage shine be more generous with your styler. For soft control with a natural sheen, apply a smaller amount.

Step Three Follow up with the boar bristle brush to sweep all the hairs into place. If necessary, catch any stray hairs with the firm toothbrush.

Step Four Run your fingers over your hair to feel for any missed areas. If you find any, spot-apply a fingerful of Brillantina, and rebrush with the boar bristle and/or toothbrush.

Step FiveNow, add a final coat of Brillantina to the entire area you want to hold down. This time, smooth the hair in place with your fingers alone.

None of this edge-smoothing can be put into practice if you don't scrupulously guard the condition of your edges. Having a full, thriving hairline to smooth back is a prerequisite for sleek, healthy edges, so make sure yours stays in peak condition.

Lavish this fragile section of your hair with special attention whenever you moisturise or condition. It often dries out before the rest of the hair, so always apply your treatments, conditioners and leave ins here first, to ensure it gets the focus it needs. If your edges are weak, nurture them back to fullness by using treatments which strengthen the hair at the root. Dominican conditioners which target the roots include Capilo's Suela & Canela line and Alopecil's Apretadora.

Finally, keep pulled-back styles to a minimum. Not only does pulling hair back too much weaken your edges, but the little broken off hairs it leaves can also contribute to the very unruliness you are trying to control! So vary your styles between loose and restrained, and when you do wear updos, buns or ponytails, remember to keep the tension low.